Australia sent a team of 12 athletes and three guides to the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang, Korea. Australia finished 15th on the medal table and it was its fourth best medal performance at the Winter Paralympics.

Medallists MedalNameSportEventDateSnowboardingSnowboard cross SB-ULSnowboardingSnowboard banked SB-ULGuide: Christian GeigerAlpine skiingSuper combined B & VIGuide: Christian GeigerAlpine skiingGiant slalom B & VI

Team Preparation It was expected that the final Australian team would be between 10 and 12 athletes across two sports – para-alpine skiing and para-snowboard. There is the aim to finish in the top 15 nations on the medal table, as per the target set by the Australian Sports Commission’s Australia’s Winning Edge policy. The team will be missing previous Winter Paralympic Games medallists - Cameron Rahles-Rahbula, Toby Kane and Jessica Gallagher.

The Australian Paralympic Committee expects Mitchell Gourley, Melissa Perrine, Joany Badenhorst and Ben Tudhope to be medal contenders.

The Australian Sports Commission provided Ski and Snowboard Australia the following funding for Australia's Winter Paralympic high performance program: 2014/15 = $934,478: 2015/16 - $934,478; 2016/17 - $934,478; 2017/18 - $1,009,478

Administration

In March 2017, Nick Dean was appointed Chef de Mission. He previously served as Chef de Mission at the Lillehammer 1994, Nagano 1998 and Salt Lake City 2002 Games and was Deputy Chef de Mission for a further three Winter and two Summer Paralympic Games between 1992 and 2012.

+ Team Support Position Person Chef de Mission Nick Dean General Manager, Paralympic Performance & Out of Village Paul Kiteley Team Attaché and Security Melissa Riethmuller General Manager, Communications Tim Mannion Head coach, Alpine Chris McKnight Coach, Alpine Craig Branch Head coach, Snowboard Lukas Prem Ski Technician Curtis Christian Ski Technician Ryan Pearl Snowboard Technician Tony Horne Chief Medical Officer Dr Geoff Thompson Physiotherapist Justin Wray Physiotherapist Tom Peters Psychologist Kristine DunnTeam Leader Annie McCormackOperations Manager Shellee FergusonIT and Operations Manager Ben TroyMedia Liaison Officer Sascha RynerMedia Liaison Officer Margie McDonaldVideographer Brett FrawleyVice-President APC Jock O'CallaghanCEO APCLynne Anderson

Team

Mitchell Gourley and Joany Badenhorst were announced team co-captains in October 2017. On 20 February 2018, Australian Paralympic Committee announced a team of 13 athletes. Shaun Pianta and sighted guide Jeremy O'Sullivan were selected in the team on 6 March but Pianta will be required to pass a final fitness test on his injured right knee ahead of his Paralympic debut on March 14.

The final team of 12 athletes and three sighted guides is the largest Australian team to compete at a Winter Paralympic Games.

Joany Badenhorst was named the Opening Ceremony flag bearer, the first female Australian Winter Paralympian to be given this honour. Melissa Perrine was given the honour of the Closing Ceremony flag bearer due to her competing at three Winter Games and winning two bronze medals in PyeongChang.

Events Alpine skiing Women AthleteEventFinalDateRun 1Run 2Total TimeRankMelissa Perrine / Christian Geiger (guide) B2 Downhill Visually Impaired1:35.40510 March Super-G visually impaired1:36.96 511 March Super combined Visually Impaired1:35.50 (6)55.32 (1)2:30.8213 March Slalom Visually Impaired56.74 (5)58.33 (2)1:55.07418 March Giant slalom visually impaired1:14.95 (3)1:13.86 (2)2:28.8114 MarchVictoria Pendergast LW12-1 Downhill sit-ski1:44.14410 March Super-G sit-skiDNFDNF11 March Super combined super-G sit-ski1:44.49(8)DNSDNS13 March Giant slalom sit-ski1:21.22 (9)1:20.15 (8)2:41.37814 March

Men AthleteEventFinalDateRun 1Run 2Total TimeRankMitchell Gourley LW6/8-2Downhill StandingDNFDNF10 MarchSlalom Standing48.69 (3)53.63 (12)1:42.32 617 March Giant slalom standing1:07.87 (5) 1:08.60 (8)2:16.47814 March Super-G standing1:30.341211 MarchSuper combined standing1:27.13 (3)49.77 (8)2:16.90513 March Jonty O'Callaghan LW9-1Downhill Standing1:34.862210 MarchSlalom StandingDNFDNF17 March Giant slalom standing1:15.64 (29) 1:16.58 (25)2:32.22 2314 March Super-G standingDNFDNF11 March Super combined standingDNFDNF13 MarchMark Soyer LW11Downhill SittingDNFDNF10 March Slalom Sitting DNFDNF17 March Giant slalom Sitting1:16.95 (22)1:12.99 (16)2:29.941814 March Super-G sitting1:32.321611 MarchSuper combined Sitting1:33.24 (18)DNFDNF13 MarchSam Tait LW11Downhill Sitting1:28.561110 March Slalom Sitting DNFDNF17 March Giant slalom Sitting1:17.36 (24)1:10.92 (13)2:28.281714 March Super-G sittingDNFDNF11 MarchSuper combined SittingDNFDNF13 MarchPatrick Jensen B2 Lara Falk (guide)Slalom Standing Visually ImpairedDNFDNF17 March Giant slalom standing Visually Impaired1:16.55 (11)1:15.61 (12)2:32.16 1114 MarchShaun Pianta B2 Jeremy O'Sullivan (guide)Slalom Standing Visually ImpairedDNFDNF17 March Giant slalom standing Visually Impaired1:25.97 (14) 1:21.88 (14)2:47.851414 March

Snowboarding Women

Joany Badenhorst was injured in a training run just prior to the day of competition and was declared medically unfit to compete. Men AthleteEventRace 1Race 21/8Q/FS/FFinal TimeRankTimeRankPositionPositionPositionPositionSimon Patmore SB-ULMen's snowboard cross1:01.7631:02.454 Q1Q1Q1QSean Pollard SB-UL1:06.57121:06.576Q2colspan=3 Ben Tudhope SB-LL21:03.74121:00.645 Q2colspan=3

Men AthleteEventRun 1Run 2Run 3Best timeTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankSimon Patmore SB-ULMen's snowboard banked54.11252.78251.99 351.99 Sean Pollard SB-UL57.11653.84355.39753.845Ben Tudhope SB-LL252.02652.63751.68751.687

Media Coverage Seven Network has an agreement with the Australian Paralympic Committee to provide coverage of Australia’s Winter Paralympic sport across Seven’s television, digital and print media assets to bring the stories of Australia’s winter Paralympic athletes to more Australians than ever before. Coverage will include a daily highlights show to be broadcast on 7MATE every morning, with an encore highlights on 7TWO and Channel 7 in the evening. It is the first time a commercial television network has covered Australian athletes at the Winter Paralympics. During the Games, Channel Seven encountered criticism from former Paralympians and current athletes due to it limiting its coverage of the nine-day event to a one-hour highlights show the day after competition for Australian audiences.

See also Images of Australian Team at the 2018 Winter Paralympics

References

External links APC 2018 Winter Games Media Guide PyeongChang Official website International Paralympic Committee PyeongChang website